The bamboo spreader is perfect for spreading foods like soft cheese or butter. 6" in length. Unlike most other hardwoods, bamboo absorbs very little moisture. As a result, it does not shrink or swell as much making it a superior choice of material for cutting boards and kitchen accessories. No artificial dyes or stains are used. The lighter color is the natural color of the bamboo, and the darker color is a result of a heating process that caramalizes or darkens the sugars in the bamboo. The color is permanent and will not wash off. The spreader is constructed with a non-formaldehyde food-grade glue. Bamboo is actually a grass with an extensive root system that continually sends out new shoots, making it one of the most renewable resources known. Bamboo is a sustainable, cost effective, and ecologically responsible alternative to the widespread clearcutting of our old growth forests.